Waterjet boats are propelled by a fast jet of water that's forced through pumps and shot out of the back of the ship. And now the military is implanting this technology in huge boats to make them achieve super speeds.

The ferry you see here is a concept design from Incat, and is under construction in Australia right now. It's 325 feet long, powered by liquefied natural gas, and will go 50 knots. It's going to be the model for military ships of the future.

Australian shipbuilder Incat and its U.S. subsidiary Bollinger Shipyards, has built several high-speed waterjet vessels for the U.S. military. Based on successful catamaran ferry designs, Joint Venture (HSV-X1) was chartered to the US Army TACOM and operated by the Navy and then Army. Joint Venture displaces 1,740 tons fully loaded, is 96 meters long, and can achieve speeds up to 48 knots. The catamaran uses four Caterpillar 3618 marine diesel engines with four Wärtsilä-Lips LJ150D steerable waterjets. The Army liked the HSV concept so much, it chartered another wave piercing catamaran for the Theater Support Vessel Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator (ACTD) role.